Method of packaging bacon strips



July 22, 1958 J. F. EHRENFRIED ET AL 2,844,472

METHOD OF PACKAGING BACON STRIPS Filed June 14. 1955' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 III @i.

OOOOOOOQO FIG. '4

INVENTORS JOHN F. EHRENFRIED BY LEO J. VON GUNTEN ATTORNEY July 22, 1958 J. F. EHRENFRIED ET AL 2,844,472

METHOD OF PACKAGING BACON STRIPS Fi led Jun 14. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 i' 5' s 86 g 24 i i INVENTORS JOHN F. EHRENFRIED FIG. 5 BY LEO J. VON GUNTEN ATTIORNEY July 22, 1958 J. F. EHRENFRIED ET AL 2,844,472

7 METHOD OF PACKAGING BACON STRIPS Filed June 14. 1955 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. ll

FIG. 6

IN V EN TORS JOHN F. E'HRENFRIED y LEO J. VON GUNTEN ATT'ORNEY July '22, 1958 J. F. YEHRENFRIED ETAL;

METHOD OF PACKAGING BAG-ON STRIPS 5' Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 14. 1955 FIG.

1ooooooo v m A U37 3576 7D INVENTORS I JOHN F. EHRENFRIED y LEO J. VON GUNTEN ATTO RNEY United States Patent 2,844,472 METHOD OF PACKAGING BACON STRIPS John F. Ehrenfried, Akron, and Leo J. Von .Gunten,

Clinton, Ohio, assignors to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,482 2 Claims. (Cl. 99-474 This invention relates to (1) a machine for applying a tear tape to a package, (2) the process of applying the tear tape, and (3) the final package.

The package includes an opaque portion of stiff packaging material which is over-wrapped with film to which the tear tape is heat sealable. This film is preferably transparent and the opaque portion of the package may include an opening which is covered by this film to form a window which protects the contents of the package while making them clearly visible.

The preferred package is a flat package. The opaque material covers the entire back of the package and is folded over along at least one edge of the package to form an opaque margin along this edge of the front of the package. This preferred package is designed particularly for overlapped slices of bacon, with one opaque margin along the bottom edge of the front of the package, and usually also with an opaque margin along one or both side edges of the front of the package. The opaque material does not extend beyond the margins at the edges of the front of the package, and leaves a large Window through which the slices of bacon are exposed. The bacon contained in the stiff opaque material is over-wrapped with a transparent heat-sealable film such as Pliofilm, etc. The portion of the over-wrap which covers the front of the package is without seams, and this is folded back at all four edges to the back of the package where overlapping portions are heat sealed to one another.

The tear tape extends from one side of the front of the package to the other side, over an opaque margin which is preferably located at the bottom edge of the front of the package. This portion of the tear tape is sealed to the film over-wrap by heat and pressure. The tear tape extends beyond one edge of the front of the package, leaving a free tab to be grasped when the tear tape is to be used to open the package. The other end 'of the tear tape is folded under the opposite edge of the package and is sealed to the over-wrap on the back of the package. This seal is formed by pressing the tear tape against a seal of the film over-wrap while this seal is still tacky from the heat-sealing operation in which the over-wrap is formed.

The apparatus includes means for applying the tear tape automatically and providing the loose end of the tear tape for opening the package, all as will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of the front of the package;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the bottom edge of the package along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. The extent of the tear tape is indicated by the dot-dash line, the tear tape being not too easily visible in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the edge of the package at which one end of the tear tape is sealed to the back of the package;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the tear-tape applying one edge thereof to the other, as shown.

Fee

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are details showing the changes which take place in the interrelation of the various parts as the package is passed through the machine and the tear tape is applied to it;

Fig. 10 is a detail of the heat-sealing roller and the cam that operates it;

Fig. 11 is a detail of the knife mechanism and the cam that operates it; and

Fig. 12 is a view of the heat-sealing roller, the tear tape, and the package on line 12-12 of Fig. 8.

The package of Fig. 1 is formed of the stiff opaque material 1,'the over-wrap 2, and the tear tape 3. The opaque material covers the entire back 5 (Fig. 2) of the package. The strips of bacon 6 are placed on this back portion, and the bottom edge of the opaque material 1 is folded up to form the front margin 7. Usually one or both of the edges of the opaque material are folded forward to form margins 8 and 9 at the edges of the package to hold the strips of bacon in line. The entire opaque portion of the package with the bacon in place on it is over-Wrapped with the transparent heatsealable film 2. The film covers the window 12 which makes the bacon visible to the prospective purchaser. Usually-the bacon strips are placed in the package by first laying one strip along the top edge of the opaque back 5, and then overlapping the other strips below it so as to expose just suflicient of the top margin of the bacon to enable the prospective purchaser to determine how much lean there is in the bacon.

The film 2 is rubber hydrochloride film or other heatsealable film. It may be applied to the package in any suitable manner. A preferred method is to cover the front of the package with a continuous sheet, and to fold the edges back to the back side Where they are overlapped and sealed to one another by heat and pressure. According to a preferred method of over-wrapping, a long piece of the film is laid over the front of the package, and then the top and'bottom edges are folded back and sealed together in a fiat seal across the back of the package. Then the ends of the film which extend beyond the opposite edges of the package are folded over onto the back of the package where they are sealed to one another near the respective edges of the package and to the film which covers the back of the package. This forms a heat-sealed area adjacent both the edges of the back film. Alternatively, several "plies of rubber hydrochlo-.

ride film may be laminated to one another. The rubber hydrochloride is preferably stretched longitudinally to impart strength to it. It may have cellophane or paper or other strengthening materials laminated to it. The tear tape extends across the front of the package, from The end 15 extends beyond the right-hand edge of the package to form a tab which is easily grasped when the package is to be opened. The opposite end 16 of the tear tape is folded overv the opposite edge of the package and is pressed against the tacky seal of the rubber hydrochloride at the back of the package, and this seals this end of the tear tape to the film over-wrap.

In order to open the package the housewife grasps the tab and lifts it from the package. The fact that the opposite end 16 of the tear tape is folded over the end of the package assists the housewife in opening the package by pulling on the tear tape. The tear tape is sealed to the outer surface of the over-wrap and tears the overwrap from one side of the package to the other as the tear tape is lifted from the package. The over-wrap is then easily slipped off of the package. The opaque margins at the front of the package can then be easily folded back, exposing the bacon to full view.

In Figs. 7 to 9 which show the position of certain elements of the equipment at different stages of the operation of applying the tear tape, the wrapped package is designated by the reference numberal 20. The successive packages are pushed over the top of the bed plate 22 by the pushers 23 which are fastened to the chains 24. The

chains pass over the sprockets 25 which are driven by the bevel gear 26 from the shaft 27 which is rotated by the chain 28 from a suitable source of power.

The tear tape 3 is supplied from the roll 30 which is supported by the arm 31. It first passes over the roller 33 at the end of the festoon arm 34 (which is pivoted at 35) and then over the roller 36 which is fastened to the support 31. It then passes down over the rollers 37 and 38. The roller 39 on the arm 40 is the feed roller. The arm 40 is pivoted at 41 to the support 31, and the roller 39 is yielded depressed by the spring 42.

The sealer wheel 50 is supported at the side of the induction heater 51 (Figs. 10 and 12). The arm 53 is pivoted at 41 and the spring 55 presses one end of arm 53 downward onto the axis of the sealer wheel 50 and tends to keep it in a lowered position a slight distance above the bed plate 22. The flipper arm is composed of the two portions or arms 58 and 59. It is pivoted at 60 to the arm 40 which carries the feed roll 39. The outer end of the arm 40 is turned up at 62, and the spring 63 tends to force the arm 58 of the flipper arm downwardly to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

Below the bed plate is the snubber arm 70 with its roller 76. Its botttom end is fastened to the rod 71 which is reciprocated by the action of the cam 73 on the roller 74 (Figs. 5 and 6). The cam 73 is rotated by the drive shaft 27. It rotates the roller 74 and rod 71, which in turn cause the snubber arm to move between the extreme positions shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The bed plate 22 is cut away at 75 (Fig. 6) so that the roller 76 at the upper end of the snubber arm is moved against and then out of contact with the feed roller 39. It is away from the roller when the tear tape is cut by the knife blade 77, as will be explained. This permits the roller 78 at the end of the lower portion 58 of the flipper arm to push the cut end 16 of the tear tape to the hanging position shown in Figs. 5 and 9.

Figure 11 is a detail which shows the knife 77 and the cutting mechanism. The knife 77 is fastened to one face of the block 80 which is adapted to slide vertically in the guides 81 which are supported by the bracket 82. The knife is heated electrically by suitable heating means (not shown) in the upper end of the block 80. The block is supported at one end of arm 84 which is pivoted at 85. The roller 86 at the opposite end of arm 84 is pressed against the surface of cam 87 on shaft 27 by a spring (not shown) in order to actuate the knife.

The heat-sealer roll 50 is raised to introduce the forward edge of a package under it. This is done by lifting the arm 53 which is fastened to the heater 51. A detail of the mechanism is shown in Fig. 10. The cam 90 is fastened to the drive shaft 27. As it rotates, it pushes the roller 91 on the arm 93 to the right (Fig. 10). The arm is pivoted at 94, so this raises the upper end of the arm 95, which in turn lifts the arm 53 whichsupports the heat sealer. The spring 42 prevents the spring 63 from.

lifting the roller 39 out of contact with the package, as well as offsetting the force required to draw the tear tape from the stock roll 30 which also tends to lift the roller 39 out of contact with the package.

The short lower pin 65 and longer upper pin 66 (Fig. 6) serve as stops for the short arms of the levers 53 and 39, respectively. They limit the extent to which these short arms can be lifted by the springs 55 and 42, respectively. Thus the pin 66 holds the roller 39 at substantially the height of the bed plate.

Referring now to Figs. 7-9, as the package 20 is pushed by the pusher 23 toward the tear tape attacher, its loose end 16 hangs downwardly over the feed roll 39 and against the surface of the roller 76 of the snubber pin. As the package is pushed against the tear tape (Fig. 7), the roller 76 at the top of the snubber arm 70 presses this loose end 16 of the tear tape against the tacky seal of the over-wrap at the forward edge of the bottom of the package. As the forward end of the package progresses, it pushes the flipper arm 58 to the left and slides against its undersurface (Fig. 8), lifting the arm 4 to which it is attached. This, in turn, lifts the feed roll 39 so that it rolls across the top surface of the package. As it rolls over the top surface of the package it draws tear tape from the roll 30, the forward end of the tear tape being held against the back of the package by the roller 76 and later by the fact that it is then sealed to the tacky film at the back of the package.

As the package approaches the sealer wheel 50 the cam lifts the arm 93 which in turn lifts the arm 53 which lifts the sealer and permits the package to be pushed under it. The cam then releases its lifting effort and the weight of the hot sealer wheel 50 and heater 51 against the tear tape seals the tape to the film over-wrap.

Fig. 9 illustrates clearly the movement of the coordinated parts of the mechanism as the tear tape is cut on completion of the operation. The sealer wheel 50 is approaching the rear end of the package. The roller 78 at the end of the flipper arm 58 presses the tear tape against the package as the package slides under it, and after the package is moved out from underneath it by pushers 23, this roller 78 puts pressure on the tear tape by the action of the spring 63 so that the knife 77 can sever it. The cam 87 at the proper moment lifts the knife 77 against the taut tear tape and severs it, leaving the tab end 15 unattached and extending over the edge of the package.

The package may be fed onto the bed plate from any direction by any suitable means. Fig. 5 illustrates how it may be fed from rollers 1% which are arranged in a path at right angles to the path to be followed by the package on the bed plate 22. The packages are propelled along these rollers by suitable means. They pass from these rollers over the rubber-covered roller 131 which is driven by the chain or belt 102 from the shaft 27. The member 104, located between the chains 24 (which propel pushers 23) is so shaped on its upper surface to deaden the movement of the package until it comes to rest against the guide plate 110. As the pushers move each package forward it slides inwardly of the opposite guide plate 111, the forward end of which is flared outwardly (Fig. 6). Just before each package contacts the plate 111, it slides under the forward raised end 112 of the horizontal guide 113 (Figs. 5 and 6). This guide 113 is held in guides 114 at the bottom of shafts 115 distributed throughout its length. The collars 116 (Fig. 5) press upwardly against the coiled springs 118 as they are raised, and this holds the packages flat against the bed plate while the tear tape is being sealed to them. Except for this guide 113, the forward end of each package might tend to raise up rather than to unroll the tear tape from the roll 30, as the package is pushed forward. The adjustable side guide 120 (Fig. 6) allows the machine to be adapted to the running of packages having different widths.

The equipment may be used for the application of tear tape to flat packages of different construction, such as flat boxes, etc., as well as to the preferred package of this invention which is designed especially for the packaging of bacon. Different cams, etc., may be used instead of those more particuarly shown and described. Various equivalents may be substituted for what is shown, without avoiding the claims which follow.

What we claim is:

1. The method of packaging strips of bacon in a relatively flat foldable holder, a transparent overwrap of rubber hydrochloride film and a tear tape which is heat scalable to the film, the tear tape being in a roll, which method comprises applying the overwrap to the bacon strips in overlapped relation on the holder with at least the bottom edge of the holder folded forwardly and covering only part of the bacon strips, bringing the edges of the overwrap into overlapping relation at the-back side of the holder and heat sealing the overlapped portions near one edge thereof, uniting one end of the tear tape to the exposed surface of said heat-sealed overlapped portions while the overwrap is still tacky from the heat-sealing operation, and then folding the tear tape over said edge, unrolling the tear tape from the roll and uniting it to the front of the overwrap across the entire front of the package and cutting a length of the tear tape from the roll with its end extending beyond the opposite edge of the holder.

2. The method of applying a tear tape to a package which is enclosed with heat-scalable film to which the tear tape is heat sealable, which method comprises wrapping the package in the film and heat sealing contacting portions thereof to one another, and while said contacting portions are still tacky from said heat sealing, pressing one portion of the tear tape against the exposed tacky surface thereof and thereby sealing the tear tape thereto, and also sealing another portion of the tear tape to another portion of the exposed surface of the film with heat and pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,592 Escobales Nov. 7, 1916 2,090,689 Lindsey Aug. 24, 1937 2,452,174 Arnold Oct. 26, 1948 2,476,564 Rosen Ian. 19, 1949 2,565,976 Mayer et a1 Aug. 28, 1951 2,607,696 Kunz Aug. 19, 1952 2,631,939 Peters Mar. 17, 1953 2,643,049 Bartelt June 23, 1953 2,660,530 Adams Nov. 24, 1953 2,754,045 Kodat July 10, 1.956

FOREIGN PATENTS 461,036 Great Britain Feb. 9, 1937 139,139 Australia Oct. 23, 1950 

1. THE METHOD OF PACKAGING STRIPS OF BACON IN A RELATIVELY FLAT FOLDABLE HOLDER, A TRANSPARENT OVERWARP OF RUBBER HYDROCHLORIDE FILM AND A TEAR TAPE WHICH IS HEAT SEALABLE TO THE FILM, THE TEAR TAPE BEING IN A ROLL, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES APPLYING THE OVERWARP TO THE BACON STRIPS IN OVERLAPPED RELATION ON THE HOLDER WITH AT LEAST THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE HOLDER FOLDED FORWARDLY AND COVERING ONLY PART OF THE BACON STRIPS, BRINGING THE EDGES OF THE OVERWRAP INTO OVERLAPPING RELATION AT THE BACK SIDE OF THE HOLDER AND HEAT SEALING THE OVERLAPPED PORTIONS NEAR ONE EDGE THEREOF, UNITING ONE END OF THE TEAR TAPE TO THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF SAID HEAT-SEALED OVERLAPPED PORTIONS WHILE THE OVERWRAP IS STILL TACKY FROM THE HEAT-SEALING OPERATION, AND THEN FOLDING THE TEAR TAPE OVER SAID EDGE, UNROLLING THE TEAR TAPE FROM THE ROLL AND UNITING IT TO THE FRANT OF THE OVERWRAP ACROSS THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE PACKAGE AND CUTTING A LENGTH OF THE TEAR TAPE FROM THE ROLL WITH ITS END EXTENDING BEYOND THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE HOLDER. 